TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The No. 16-ranked Northeastern State women's tennis team closed out the regular season with a 6-3 victory over No. 20 Midwestern State Saturday afternoon at the NSU Tennis Complex.
 
The RiverHawks (17-2) won their 13th match in a row, while dropping the Mustangs to 17-8 on the year. NSU started the match by claiming two doubles matches and then secured four of six singles bouts to win the day.
 
The first point went in favor of the visitors, as Abby White and Madeline Schorlemmer topped sophomore Easton Parker and true freshman Karla Tomaic 8-0 at the third doubles court.
 
Junior Valeriia Efimenko and sophomore Daria Panferova evened the match when they defeated Amy Clifton and Greta Lazzarotto 8-2 on the second court. Senior Patricia Husakova and sophomore Molly Worden swung the momentum in favor of the green and white when they picked up an 8-3 upset victory over No. 23-ranked Lindsay Nochowicz and Eirini Kontaki on the top court.
 
The Mustangs were able to equalize early singles action, using the first decision to tie the match at 2-2 when White topped Parker 6-4, 6-0 at the fifth position.
 
Husakova picked up her second huge upset of the day when she blew past No. 27-ranked Schorlemmer 6-2, 6-2 at the first flight. Husakova is the nation's No. 32-ranked singles player.
 
Worden pushed NSU to the brink of victory when she secured a 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Nochowicz from the fourth court, and Tomaic clinched the team win for the RiverHawks after handling Alexis Arrieta a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) from the bottom of the order.
 
Kontaki added a meaningless third point for Midwestern State when she defeated Panferova 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 from the second singles court, and Efimenko closed out the day with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7-3) victory over Lazzarotto at the third flight.
 
NSU ends the regular season on top of the NCAA Central Region and the team recently won the 2016 MIAA Regular Season Championship for a third-straight year. The RiverHawks will be the No. 1 seed in the 2016 MIAA Championship tournament, which will be contested April 29-May 1 at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Missouri. Northeastern State will open play at 9 a.m. April 29, and the team will learn its first-round opponent once all regular-season matches are decided.
 
Tennis Match Results
Apr 23, 2016 at Tahlequah, Okla.
(NSU Tennis Complex)
 
#16 Northeastern State 6, #20 Midwestern State 3
 
Singles Competition
1. #32 Patricia Husakova (NSU) def. #27 Madeline Schorlemmer (MSU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Eirini Kontaki (MSU) def. Daria Panferova (NSU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
3. Valeriia Efimenko (NSU) def. Greta Lazzarotto (MSU) 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Molly Worden (NSU) def. Lindsay Nochowicz (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Abby White (MSU) def. Easton Parker (NSU) 6-4, 6-0
6. Karla Tomaic (NSU) def. Alexis Arrieta (MSU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
 
Doubles Competition
1. Patricia Husakova/Molly Worden (NSU) def. #23 Lindsay Nochowicz/Eirini Kontaki (MSU) 8-3
2. Valeriia Efimenko/Daria Panferova (NSU) def. Amy Clifton/Greta Lazzarotto (MSU) 8-2
3. Abby White/Madeline Schorlemmer (MSU) def. Easton Parker/Karla Tomaic (NSU) 8-0
 
Match Notes
Midwestern State 17-8; National ranking #20
Northeastern State 17-2; National ranking #16
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,1,4,6,2,3)
 
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